Resilient wheel



0. A. LUDWIG RESILIENT WHEEL Filed NOV. 22 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v ATTORNEYS Oct. 28, 1924. 1,513,175

o. A. ILUDWZIG nss umwiwnam I Filed No). 22. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNE YS INVENTOR Patented Get. 28, 1924.

o'r'ro A. LUIDWIG, OF GREAT FA LSQMQNTANA, AssIeNon;,troinnnwrefRnsrnrnnr g a islans UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE},

V WHEEL columna or GREAT FALLS, ontana.

RnsIIJIEN WHEEL.

7 Application filed November-22, 1923. Serial Nb. 676,407. 2

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO A. LUDWIG, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Great Falls, in thecounty of Cascade and State of Montana, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Resilient hesis, of which thefollowing'is'aspecili cation.

My present invention relates generally to resilient wheels and has foritsp'rimary ob:

ject the provision of a wheel construction whereby resilient support ofa. vehicle may be accomplished without the use of a pneumatic tire, anda. further object isithe provision of a wheel adaptable to solid tiresof various forms which obviates theme-cessity of springs and otherdelicatemetallic parts having the disadvantagesot ready distortion andbreakage." In the accompanying drawings. illustrate my present inventionpart of this specificationf- V a t I Figure 1 is a sideview, partly inelevation and partly broken away and in section, Figure 2 is an enlargedsection taken diametrically through the wheel; J

Figure 3 is another enlarged sectiontaken radially of thewheel; and

Referring now to these figuresmy iin= proved wheel essentiallycomprisesa'hub 10 which as to its axial structure providing for thereception of a shaft spindle such as indifcated at11: may be of variousconstructions and which is provided according to myinf vention with acentrally "disposed annular; series of pockets 12 and has at'itsouterper-' nular rib 16 of the 'hub 10, treat said rib 16 through a clampingplate 17Jthe outer portion of the latterof which may be'fianged as at 18to forma brake drum, plate 17 being connected at its inner edge to therib? 16 V by an annular series of bolts 19 and at its outer portion tothe side plate 15 by' an annular series of bolts 20, the latter of whichare extended outwardly and adapted to pro which. and fO-fn a: I 7

portion of" the stem A "section 23 of the spoke.

'ject through openings in the outer closure plate 14 whereby upontheapplication of outer nuts 21 to the outer-ends of the bolts 20,the'closure plat-e14 is connected in place.

The outer portion ofthe inner side plate 15 is provided with a1laterally projecting annular casing 22 and the inner and outer annularwalls ofthis casing 22, whose outer side forms with the closure plate 1%the outer side of the wheel, have radially alined openings formingbearings for and to nio vably spokes. r a

Thewheel rim adapted for the reception ofa solid tire-124: of i flangedas M26 at its opposite sides or Cum,

suitableconstruetionis madeup of'a series of run segments 25, eachreceive theouter tubular sections 23 of the wise constructed for theconvenientireccp- 7 tion' of the tire 24L andfeach preferably formedlntegral with the outer end of one" of the tubular spoke sections 23. a

As best shown in Figure 3, each of the tubular spoke sections 23 is openat its inner end andflreceives axially thereof the outer portion ofitsrespective spoke stem 27 whose inner end is conically or otherwiseformed to properly seat within oneof the pockets 12 p gofthe peripheryof the hub'10. "Eachstein" Figure 4 is a detail crosssection, on an en-"i I la-rged scale, taken on lineH of Figure 1.

27 is also threaded as at28 intermediate its A lock nut '30,?the' formerconstituting a: support for onefendof the cushion which in the presentinstance-and according to my "fin and washers being disposed around theouter 27fw-ithin the tubular I Thecnshion member thus formedandfhavingadj ustable 'bear ing as previously describe d at its innerend uponltlie adjusting nut 29 ofythestenr27," V i has bearing ato'uter'end against a cylin 'ventionisconstituted by aseries of alternat111g resil ent' rlngs 31 and inelastic metal washers 32, said? S6Il6${0f alternating rings 1 dricalnbearingiplug "38 disposed within the i ur Ten i f he respective pok t e 23 and provided with anaxial bore 3%within "which"theouterfend of the stem 27 is mov: 1

ably seated and has bearing. "Thisplugseats at its outerfendagainst theinner surface of the respective rim segment 25 andthus it is obviousthat in operation when any of the inwardly and radially shiitable rimsegments, are so moved in supporting the weight of a'vehicle on whichthe wheel is mounted, the respective spoke. tubes 23will rigidlyconnected to the hub 10.

It is also obvious that the effective pressure of the cushions with theseveral spokes, the latter of which aredisposed radially in a more orless'conventional manner, may be adjusted by manipulation of theadjustable bearing nuts 29 and that the latter may be locked in,adjusted position by the lock nuts 30.

It will'be apparent from the foregoing.

that my invention avoids the use of delicate springs and other readilydis-tortable and breakable parts and that it is not only simple andinexpensive in the first instance but may be maintained with minimumcost of upkeep V and will be effective and efficient in use.

Iclaim:

1. A resilient wheel including a rigid hub portion, a rigid spoke-guidesupported by the hub portion and having apertured bearing walls spacedapart and concentric with the hub, a rim consisting of a series ofsegments and a series of spokes each of which includes an inner partprojecting outwardly from the hub and an outer tubular part movable insaid spoke bearings and support ing one of the rim segments at its outerend, and a cushion member disposed within the tubular outer part ofeachspoke around the outer portion of the inner part and having bearing atits opposite ends in connection with said spoke part-s. H 1 I p 2. Aresilient wheel including a rigid hub portion, a rigid spoke guidesupported by the hub portion and having apertured bear ing walls spacedapart and concentric with. the hub, a rim consisting of a series ofseg-v ments, and a series of spokes each of which includes an inner partprojecting outwardly from the hub and an outer tubular part movable insaid spoke bearings and supporting oneof the rim segments at its outerend, and a cushion member disposed within the tubular outer part of eachspoke around the outer portion of the inner partandhaving bearing at itsopposite endsin connection with said spoke parts, said cushion includinga series ofalternating resilient'rings and inelastic washers. housed andprotected by the spoke tubes at all times.

3. A resilient wheel including a rigid hub portion, a rigid spoke guidesupported by the hub portion and having apertured'bearing walls spacedapart and concentric with the hub, a rim consisting of a series ofsegments, and a series of spokes each of which includes an inner partprojecting outwardly from the hub and an outer tubular part movable insaid spoke bearings and supporting one of the rim segments at its outerend, and a cushion member disposed within the tubular outer part of eachspoke around the outer portion of the inner part and having bearing atits opposite ends in connection with said spoke parts, said "inner partof each spoke having adjustable means to con trol the effective pressureof each oi" the said cushion members.

4;. A resilient wheel including a hub, a rim consisting of series ofsegments, a rigid bearing member having spaced bearing platesintermediate the'hub and rim and concentric therewith, a series ofspokes, each having an inner stem disposed at its inner end inconnection with the hub, and an outer tube rigid atits outer end withone of the rim segments and axially receiving the outer portion of therespective inner stem, each spoke tube having a bearing member thereinfor the outer end of the stem and each stem having an adjustably lockedbearing nut, and a cushion member withinneach tube bearing at its outerend against the said bearing member of the tube and having bearing atits inner end against the said adjustable bearing member of the stem.

5'. A reslllent wheel including a hub, a rim conslsting of a series ofsegments,

rigid bearing member having spaced bearing plates intermediate the huband rim and concentric therewith, a series of spokes, each 1 ;having aninner stem dlsposed at its inner end in connection with the hub, and anouter tube rigid at its outer end 'withioneot the rim segments andaxially receiving the A outer portion of the respective. inner stem eachspoke'tube having a bearing member therein'for the outer endvof'the stemand each stem having an adjustably locked hearing nut, and a cushionmember within each tube bearing at its outer end against the saidbearing member of the tube and having bearing at its inner end agamstthe said adjustable bearing member of the stem, said cushion memberincluding .a series of alternating resilient rlngs and inelastic washersdisposed around the outer, portion of the stem and housed Within thetube.

, IOTTOA. LunWie.

